There was a sense of deja vu in the Principality of Monaco as the hosts beat Barca for the second time this season , but the first in official competition. Though the Gamper Trophy is never really taken seriously, the ease with which the Ligue 1 side earned their pre-season win might’ve given Hansi Flick some cause for concern. The manager apparently watched videos of the game in the lead up to Thursday night’s defeat, and even if it afforded him some clues as to where things went wrong last time, they couldn’t be put right in their Champions League game.
Let’s take a look at three things of interest during the match...
Ter Stegen can consider himself lucky it wasn’t a hammering Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images There are some that subscribe to the view that Marc-Andre ter Stegen just isn’t that good. That his distribution is poor, his decision making isn’t in keeping with his often excellent shot-stopping, and his rickets in goal make his defenders nervous. I’ve not been one to subscribe to that view previously, but it certainly applies after a catastrophic performance.
The keeper was absolutely at fault for Eric Garcia’s red card, and he gave the ball away so often that he was lucky that Monaco perhaps weren’t at their best. Ter Stegen will also be in the spotlight for the winning goal. George Ilenikhena’s shot was powerfully hit but seemed to be straight at the German, who could only deflect it into the back of the net.
Yamal stars but Barca.